NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Look up at the Moon with NASA this weekend! Saturday, Sept. 14 is International Observe the Moon Night—and we're inviting you to join us as we celebrate our lunar neighbor. Stop by an in-person or virtual event, learn how to get the best Moon photos, or just kick back and Moonwatch from your backyard: https://lnkd.in/evnjX7td

Look up in the night sky this week — you might spot a solar sail! Our Advanced Composite Solar Sail System lets small spacecraft "sail on sunlight" using particles from the Sun, providing an alternative to rocket fuel. The spacecraft is now in orbit, and stargazers can find out when it will be visible in their area on our NASA app. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ePA4Q88K

NASA and Boeing welcomed Starliner back to Earth at 12:01am ET (0401 UTC) on Saturday, Sept. 7, following the uncrewed spacecraft's landing in New Mexico—concluding its flight test to the International Space Station: https://lnkd.in/e-DEFPnF

NASA's Kennedy Space Center has demonstrated a way to operate superconductors in space without the need for extensive cooling infrastructure, potentially leading to new options to keep lunar explorers protected from radiation. Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field shield us from harmful solar and cosmic background radiation—but astronauts on the Moon would need other ways to minimize their exposure. Superconductors could create a powerful magnetic field, but on the Moon (where daytime temperatures can spike to 250°F (121°C)), they must be kept at extremely cold temperatures that require complex and heavy cooling infrastructure. Kennedy's "Passively Cooled Superconductors in Space" project tested spray-on coating materials that could keep semiconductors at operating temperatures beyond Earth's atmosphere—at distances as close as 1 astronomical unit from the Sun. Learn more about the project, NASA centers, and key partners at our TechPort database: https://lnkd.in/eDwqDEWy

"My personal giant leap has been the opportunity to contribute to a mission as groundbreaking as the Roman Space Telescope." Dr. Lucas Paganini is the deputy program executive for our Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which aims to unravel the mystery of dark matter when it launches later this decade. Learn more about how Roman builds on the legacy of telescopes like Hubble and Webb on this week's episode of our Small Steps, Giant Leaps podcast: https://lnkd.in/ec-5sc7r

At NASA, Labor Day is about honoring our incredible #NASAPeople. Our team works hard to achieve so much--from progress on new spacecraft and aircraft to new technology in space and so much more. Thank you for all you do to chase new dreams and possibilities!

Can you see our name in these satellite photos of Earth? Spell yours in images from the NASA & USGS Landsat program, which has observed our home planet for over 50 years: go.nasa.gov/EarthName

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, humanity's journey has just begun. As we continue scientific research aboard the International Space Station and support the development of future space destinations, we're soliciting feedback from industry, academia, and the public to guide the next generation of human presence in low Earth orbit: https://lnkd.in/eYN6sQhB

After extensive review by experts across the agency, NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test will return with an uncrewed Starliner. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are scheduled to return to Earth next spring aboard NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission: https://lnkd.in/eNXY6Ug2

We're holding a news conference to discuss NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test at 1 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 24, following Saturday's Agency Test Flight Readiness Review. Details: https://lnkd.in/eas-jd2J